98 Amended tariff. Cable to New CABLE TO NEW CALEDONIA. was joined to the continent by a cable laid in 1876, the length being about 1,191 miles. It has its Australian terminus within sight of the spot where Captain Cook landed on the shores of Botany Bay, and within a stone's throw of the monument of La Perouse. The New Zealand terminus of the cable is at Nelson, on the middle or south island, whence another cable is laid to Wanganui, in the North island, with an alternate line from Picton to Wellington. At a conference of the postal and telegraphic authorities, held in Sydney in February, 1891, the question of cable rates came under discussion, and a proposal of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company was agreed to, by which the colonies, with the exception of New Zealand and Queensland, undertook to make good half the loss which the Company would sustain by a reduction in the schedule of cable charges. The amended tariff came into force in May, 1891, and the amount to be guaranteed to the Company for the portion of the year during which the contract was in existence was £158,941. The sum earned by the Company for the same period was £120,141, so that the deficiency on the eight months' business was £38,350, one-half of which was made good by the contributing colonies pro rata according to population. An agreement has been entered into between the representative of a French company and the Queensland Government, for the construction of a cable service between Queensland and New Caledonia, a distance of 900 miles. The French Government is to guarantee £8,000 and the Governments of New South Wales and Queensland £2,000 each as a subsidy to the line; and in consideration of this sum the two Australian Governments mentioned are entitled to the use of the wire for transmission of Government messages free of cost, up to the extent of the guarantee. The Queensland terminus of the cable has been fixed at Burnett Heads, that locality having been selected as being more suitable than either Gladstone, Sandy Cape, or Cape Moreton, which had been mentioned as probable landing places for the cable. LENGTH OF TELEGRAPHS. 99 This service, when completed, will be the first portion of the proposed main Pacific cable, connecting Australia with Vancouver, San Francisco, or such other place as may be determined. Telegraphic matters. All the Colonies show very rapid progress in regard to tele- Progress in graphic matters during the period from 1871 to 1881. In the case of Queensland this increase is largely due to the construction of the line to the Gulf of Carpentaria; and in the case of South Australia, to the construction of the lines to Port Darwin and to Eucla, on the boundary of Western Australia. Telegraph poles.. The following table shows the increase in the number of tele-Length of graphic lines for each colony at intervals of ten years, as far as Telegraph wires. The next table gives similar particulars, only the amounts are Length of expressed as miles of wire instead of length in poles :- Telegrams. The number of telegrams passing along the wires of each Colony, Number of and the revenue received by the respective telegraph departments for the year 1891, were as follow. In the total for Australasia 100 Telephones, TELEPHONES. a correction has been made for Intercolonial telegrams recorded in both the despatching and the receiving colony : In connection with the Telegraph Departments of the various colonies, Telephone Exchanges have, during recent years, been established in the capitals and other important centres of population. The returns relating to Telephones are, however, difficult to separate from those relating to Telegraphs, particularly with regard to the distinct wires in use. Information regarding Telephones in the different colonies, as far as can be ascertained, will be found in the following table : In addition to the branches of the Postal and Telegraphic business dealt with in this chapter, Money Order Offices and Savings Banks are in operation in all the colonies, particulars regarding which will be found in the chapter dealing with Finance. ΙΟΙ PARLIAMENTS. FRO Council. ROM the nature and composition of the population of Australia at and for some time after its first settlement, the government and direction of affairs naturally rested in the hands of the Governor alone, and it was not until the year 1824, during the time of Sir Thomas Brisbane, that any attempt was made to provide the Governor with recognized advisers. In that year the first Legislative Council was appointed, consisting of six First Legislative gentlemen, of whom five held the principal official positions in the Colony, the sixth being Mr. John Macarthur, the founder of the Australian wool industry. The first Act of Parliament ever passed in Australia was a measure dealing with the currency, in 1824. Four more members were added to the Council in the following year, by Governor Darling, and further additions were made from time to time. On 6 June, 1838, the public were first admitted to hear the debates, for up to that time even the reporters of the Press had been excluded. Henceforth, however, the proceedings were more or less fully reported. Until the year 1843 the members of the Legislative Council were all nominated by the Governor, but in that year the principle of election was Introduction of introduced, in conjunction with that of nomination. The principle. nominated members were twelve in number, six being official and six non-official. The elected members comprised a number of men whose names have become (historic, such as W. C. Wentworth, William Bland, William Lawson, Charles Cowper, Terence Aubrey Murray, W. H. Suttor, Francis Lord, Richard Windeyer, Alexander Macleay, Roger Therry, Charles Nicholson, and John the elective 102 First Speaker. RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. Dunmore Lang, the two last mentioned being among the representatives of the Port Phillip district, since known as Victoria. Mr. Alexander Macleay was the first Speaker of this body, succeeded by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1846. Mere representation in the Legislature did not altogether satisfy the colonists, for as far back as the year 1845 the question of Responsible Government was publicly discussed. The agitation once started was never allowed to slumber, but aided by a vigorous and outspoken Press, as well as by the talented oratory of some of the patriotic members of the Legislature, it continually acquired new strength, until, in the year 1855, the Imperial Parliament passed a measure to sanction the new Constitution that the colonists sought. On First Parliament 22 May, 1856, the first Australian Parliament under Responsible under Respon sible Govern ment. Government was opened by Sir William Denison, in Sydney. It consisted of a nominated Upper House, called the Legislative Council, and a Legislative Assembly, consisting of fifty-four elected members, of whom Sir Daniel Cooper was chosen the first Speaker. The first Ministry consisted of Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson as Colonial Secretary and Premier; Mr. Thomas Holt, Colonial Treasurer; Sir William Manning, Attorney-General ; Mr. J. B. Darvall, Solicitor-General; Mr. G. R. Nichols, Auditor-General; and Mr. W. C. Mayne as Representative of the Government in the Legislative Council. From that period the principles upon which the Government of New South Wales is based have never altered, though there have been some changes in the details. Various amendments of the Electoral Act have taken place from time to time, by which the number of representatives to the Legislative Assembly has been largely increased, and alterations have taken place, all in the direction of the removal of restrictions, and the extension of the liberties of the people. The Legislative Council now numbers seventy-one The only members, though there is no limit fixed, and the Assembly 141. |